Your Views

Increase in minimum wage could harm senior citizens

There is one aspect of an increase of the minimum wage I don't hear anyone talking about: What will this mean to senior citizens?

If the minimum wage goes from $7.25 an hour to $10 an hour, that is a 38% increase. What about the people already making $10 an hour? Won't they want a 38% increase also? And so it will go, on up the scale. This will drive up the cost of everything we buy. Where does that leave the senior citizen on a fixed income? This year, Social Security was increased by 1.5%. That is a far cry from 38%.

The investments that retirees saved for and depended on are now earning at a very low rate. When CDs, bonds, etc., come due not only can they not reinvest at an increase, in most cases they actually find that interest rates are so low that it hardly pays to reinvest. Even if they are willing to take some risks with their investments to earn a better interest or dividend rate, there is no reasonable investment where they can get an increased yield near 38%.

Most seniors are not wealthy. They are just average citizens who thought they were responsibly planning for their retirement. However, increasing prices coupled with the inability to increase their income proportionately will have many senior citizens seeing their carefully planned retirement leaving them behind.

Elizabeth MuellerWaukesha

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Better use for Marquette donation

While reading the article, I felt a deep sadness in my heart, a knot in my stomach and a shake of my head. I wished I could shake that person and cry, "Why, Why, Why? Why can't you see the fantastic difference you could have made with $500,000 gifts to 20 greater Milwaukee organizations that would help hundreds, if not thousands, of poor, middle-class, disabled, sickly, hungry, struggling human beings? Or to veterans in need for reasons not of their own making?"

Why didn't the donor listen to Pope Francis, a Jesuit, who stresses the importance of helping the poor? The picture of the current Jesuit Residence Hall for 44 Jesuits looked lovely — far from a critical need of $7.5 million toward a new one. Why didn't they ask the 44 residing Jesuits if they would rather see this wonderful help given to more worthy causes than housing for only 30 future Jesuits?

That generous gift could have rid Milwaukee of its abandoned, dilapidated homes and built modest housing , improved neighborhoods, etc. The rest of the donation for scholarships will help so few students in comparison to what the money could do toward helping thousands to afford less expensive schooling and training for jobs.

I know grateful alumni from prestigious universities want to give back — why can't some of them give to their community in their school's honor? If this was supposed to be a feel good story — it saddened me.

Denise P. BartlettMilwaukee

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Streetcar will help Milwaukee

I consider myself a light user of the interstate and state highway systems and drive mostly on local streets within the city. Yet I dutifully pay my 30-plus cents per gallon in federal and state gas taxes whenever I fill my gas tank to support the cost of operating a highway system, a system that is fully subsidized by state and federal tax revenue or public borrowing; 100% subsidized. No complaints.

The City of Milwaukee and its downtown business community want to invest in a mass-transit development — a streetcar-based system — as a means of stimulating redevelopment in areas of the central business district that are ripe for higher density, more investment and ultimately more property tax revenue. It would be fully funded by federal transit funds already allocated or through municipal borrowing amortized using new future property tax revenue. Yet the complaints and criticism are endless, as evidenced by recent letters to the editor.

To criticize the proposed streetcar system on the basis of "return on investment" is no less ridiculous than condemning our highway system on the same basis. Transportation systems are not intended to generate a direct economic return on investment from their operation; rather they are intended to induce growth, commerce, private capital investment and its outcomes — jobs, economic health and a more vibrant business climate.

Streetcar systems have been proven, on a repeat basis, to do just that in redeveloping urban areas around the country. Cities that have moved forward with urban light rail systems exhibit some of the healthiest metrics for metropolitan growth, business creation and job opportunities.

Let's move this forward and diversify our transportation options. It will stimulate investment and offer yet another means of reaching our destinations without the need of always having to rely on the automobile.

Robert B. MonnatMilwaukee

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Outraged by Walker cuts

I am outraged by the drastic cuts Gov. Scott Walker has made to basic health care for women in Wisconsin. How thoughtless is this? Also, sex education in schools is essential if young people are to prevent unwanted pregnancies and avoid abortions.

"Right to life" is a beautiful phrase; however, a child born to a young unwed mother does not have much chance for a happy, productive life. In fact, this child may be treated so carelessly that it dies in the first year of life. Or suppose the unwanted pregnancy occurs to a low-income mother with five or six other children. Who can give the baby the attention it needs for a successful life?

I urge Walker to rethink his harsh policies toward women and restore access to essential basic health care for women as well as sex education in schools.

B. GothamWauwatosa

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No fast track for agreement

This article was right on the money. Due to trade agreements, this country has lost over 700,000 jobs. This newest trade agreement will do nothing more than allow corporations to offshore more American jobs. People in the countries considered under this trade agreement work for very, very, low wages and substandard working conditions. They cannot afford to buy products made in America. Who gained from these trade agreements? The corporations, that's who.

If one ever looks at a label to see where something is made, one will be surprised to see that everything is made offshore and the American people are paying high prices for these things. Sure these countries want us to agree to this partnership because we are their biggest consumers.

If this partnership is so good for America, then why is it kept so secret? No fast track. Let everyone know what this agreement involves and let it be debated. The American people deserve to know.

Ann WillardMilwaukee

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Democrats destroy jobs

Let's see, NAFTA, former President Bill Clinton, CAFTA-DR, President Barack Obama (not yet signed, but soon to be), TPP. And Newby has the nerve to say this is the fault of international businesses? When are unions going to get a clue? Democrats have signed more job-destroying bills than Republicans by far. Environmental, taxes, international business, amnesty and the list goes on.

Definition of insanity: Keep voting the same way and nothing changes.

Clark GreenNorth Prairie

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Carbon tax would be effective

Three cheers to the Journal Sentinel for its editorial calling claims that our cold winter proves climate change is a hoax "nonsense" and endorsing a carbon tax as "one good option" to help prevent catastrophic global warming ("Yes, the climate is changing," Jan. 28).

President Barack Obama in his State of the Union address correctly said "the debate is settled" and "we have to act with more urgency" because a changing climate is already causing harm in the United States. The Obama administration has taken steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and to improve the fuel economy of cars and trucks, which also reduces emissions. But a president acting alone can do only so much.

Congress must enact legislation to shift our nation away from dirty-burning fossil fuels toward cleaner alternatives. Economists at all points of the political spectrum say that placing a federal carbon tax on coal, oil and gas at the production end is the simplest, most efficient way to do this. And a revenue-neutral carbon tax would put more money in the pockets of consumers to offset higher energy costs during the transition.

Wisconsin's congressional delegation should step up to the challenge. Every day of inaction is a lost opportunity.

Tom SinclairMadison

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Support a carbon tax

Many folks are still confused by the difference between weather and climate. The long-term climate trends (climatologists usually study trends of no less than 30 years) are clearly toward warmer winters. That being said, however, there is more to the story. Scientists have recently documented the existence of a warm air "heat dome" over the arctic. This appears to be causing the jet stream to behave more erratically. The jet stream, of course, can influence our weather.

So, yes, we are gradually warming the climate. At the same time, though, we are disrupting the ability of the planet to provide us with moderate weather. This will result in many catastrophic effects to human health, agriculture and the environment.

It's time to get serious about transitioning away from dirty fossil fuels. Support a carbon tax.

Nancy GloeBrookfield

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Taxpayers are failing schools

Recent articles about failing schools make me wonder if we are identifying the correct problem.

These schools have something in common: they have a 90% or greater population of poor students. We know what works for effective schools — neighborhood schools, small class sizes, full-time counselors, teachers of art, music, physical education, librarians, strong curriculum and leadership, and teachers who follow best practices all help to make a high performing school.

Instead of helping schools in need, our lawmakers want to punish them by taking away whatever resources they have left. These schools should have more resources than their counterparts in middle-class districts. Classes should be smaller, resources for teachers and families should be greater, community health and social services should be part of the school offerings.

The money to do these things could be found by reducing the overloaded administrative costs found in large districts. These schools are not failing. We, the taxpayers, are failing these schools by not providing the resources they need to teach our most valuable resource for our future, our children.

Mary StetterBrookfield

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What if rock was placed there?

Scientists suspect that the mystery rock on Mars, shown in the article's photo, appeared one of two ways — the little mystery rock was flipped over by one of the land rover's wheels or it may have been deposited after a meteorite landed nearby ("Mystery white rock inexplicably appears near NASA Mars rover," Jan. 23)

But what if it was placed there? Scientists and the media continually evade the possibility of extraterrestrials, even though more than 50% of the population believes in them. They seem to know our every move, so it is possible that one of them put it there just to get a reaction for us or to let us know that we are not alone.

Although scientists will always be scientists, the media continues to sidestep these kinds of issues in fear of being labeled a tabloid. With over 50% of us believing that there is something else out there, perhaps it is time the media consider this group of subscribers.